Battle Of The Bands!

[pearlandfan]

when Houston Madison came to Pearland and played at halftime it was all about rap and getting the crowd pumped. It reminded me of drumline and was much more entertaining the our traditional band. Pearland has both a good band and drill team and is more coriographed and much more difficult, but which way do yall think is better for a halftime show?

[CKE]

when Houston Madison came to Pearland and played at halftime it was all about rap and getting the crowd pumped. It reminded me of drumline and was much more entertaining the our traditional band. Pearland has both a good band and drill team and is more coriographed and much more difficult, but which way do yall think is better for a halftime show?

when Sv played PAM in 03 they were playing Dr. Dre on PAM side. That was the first time to hear rap played by a band. It was neat

[svhorns]

Im not a fan of the A&M style of bands or UT style of bands I like the Houston Madison type of band... it just looks like they are havin the times of their lives out there... the guys with the sticks that lead the band out are awesome... and if a team has a good drumline everyone is bound to get into it... just my opinion :D

[svhorns]

on another note the most intimidating things ive seen/heard bands play was when Tyler Lee was playing the requiem for a dream song...(Tyler lee vs Spring westfield state champ. game) and copperas cove does this thing where there kinda playing quiet but as the opposing team is about to run the play they get extremly loud...

[dada]

go to the College forum and check out the "UH-Grambling" thread.

[Kilt-Boy]

and copperas cove does this thing where there kinda playing quiet but as the opposing team is about to run the play they get extremly loud...

The TWHS band does the same.

I really don't like their artsy choreographed half-time shows though. Last year the TWH band acted like they were boxing and it was hilarious, even though it wasn't supposed to be. :p

I really enjoyed they Yates band perofrmances in the dome back in the 80's. The band got into it, the crowd got in to it and whoever got on the mic during the performance usually had something interesting to say.

[PaulinPlano]

I am not a fan of the choreographed, dancing, rapping type of marching bands. I guess I am a traditionalist. I prefer the precision and talent of playing music and marching. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the different styles of showmanship when it is incorporated into marching shows… but most of those dancing bands are kind of fluff. I know they have talent… just not what I enjoy. I am more of fan of drum corps. I love watching DCI and traditional marching bands that strive for marching and musical excellence. Of course… this is all coming from a former drum corps leader.

[CyFallsMom]

They all do the artsy fartsy shows now because band is big business for the powers that run contests. BOA makes the bands think they are winning this big prestigious honor and all the while, they are raking in the dough. In the end, it's just not that prestigious outside of the band world. Our band is going to BOA Grand Nationals this year - no tryout or playoffs like in football - you just say "I want to go" and pay your fee and you are "going to nationals". And it stresses the kids and parents out because of the money involved. We have a new director (who was actually an assistant director before) and he's much nicer - great guy in fact - than the other one but they don't play a lot of music any more in the stands to help get the fans going. The old one, as much as I don't care for him, was a cheerleader too and really got into it. At any rate, I enjoy the bands who go out there and just have FUN. Most of the bands play their contest show and you can't hardly hear it sometimes. And the trend with the kids dancing - GIVE it UP! That's why they are in band and not drill team!! My son's college band has more fun than they do!

[CyFallsMom]

I know they have talent…

They do - but I know what you are saying - they spend 4 minutes of an 8 minute show DANCING or singing or doing anything but playing. That is probably because they are focusing on color guard or something because the band may not be that good. Our color guard is pretty good (3 time state champs) so the show is focused around them and it starts off with instruments laying on the ground (I cringe when I see that) and it has a bunch of string instruments in it...it's a little weird but BOA has caused that kind of stuff to happen...the weirder the better.

[BandidoNB]

I remember one time I saw the Austin Reagan band play a rap song called "Whos a HO".... it was strange, seeing as how the bands I usually see are drump corps bands, plus the occasional military band.

[svhorns]

I remember one time I saw the Austin Reagan band play a rap song called "Whos a HO".... it was strange, seeing as how the bands I usually see are drump corps bands, plus the occasional military band.
lol reagan is a band that will do that to ya... and Austin LBJ

[trbandchic]

yes some bands do all of the "hip hop" dancing...but that is not what wins them uil competitions. it might win them boa but the uil is different. I know at my school we don't have the money to go to all fo the boa competitions.. so we shoot for getting perfect ones at the uil contest.
there is also not enough time for bands to have many different shows. I know that at Roosevelt we march freshman...at Regan you have to be a good freshman to get to march...so the talent level on of the regan band is going to be higher...because they have a larger amount of people to pickfrom and they are all "experienced".
this is not half time related but the first band(which i'm in) always wins sweepstakes at uil concert contests.. and the past 4 or 5 years we have been invited to play at the "texas state wind ensamble competition" that is in Austin...which only 10 other bands from accross texas get to preform at (2 from each class)...the clinition was the head band director at Berkley.. and offered 2 huge music scholarships to 2 of our soloists on the spot because he said that talent liek that doens't come around to often...it was amazing! and as a result of that preformance we get to preform on carnegie hall in a national competition.. which we actually had to audition for.

Well back to football games...We are going to be playing Shakira "Hips don't lie" at the game vs smithson valley... should be intersting. I would rather play the 70s rock music... because it always seems to get our boys pumped!!!

[BandidoNB]

yes some bands do all of the "hip hop" dancing...but that is not what wins them uil competitions. it might win them boa but the uil is different. I know at my school we don't have the money to go to all fo the boa competitions.. so we shoot for getting perfect ones at the uil contest.
there is also not enough time for bands to have many different shows. I know that at Roosevelt we march freshman...at Regan you have to be a good freshman to get to march...so the talent level on of the regan band is going to be higher...because they have a larger amount of people to pickfrom and they are all "experienced".
this is not half time related but the first band(which i'm in) always wins sweepstakes at uil concert contests.. and the past 4 or 5 years we have been invited to play at the "texas state wind ensamble competition" that is in Austin...which only 10 other bands from accross texas get to preform at (2 from each class)...the clinition was the head band director at Berkley.. and offered 2 huge music scholarships to 2 of our soloists on the spot because he said that talent liek that doens't come around to often...it was amazing! and as a result of that preformance we get to preform on carnegie hall in a national competition.. which we actually had to audition for.

Well back to football games...We are going to be playing Shakira "Hips don't lie" at the game vs smithson valley... should be intersting. I would rather play the 70s rock music... because it always seems to get our boys pumped!!!

Roosevelt has a good marching band. When they were in 4A they made state marching contest. As a 5A school, they have not made state, but only because the quality of bands in 5A is just so much higher.
I wasnt aware that Reagan marches few freshman; that makes it that much harder for other schools to compete against them. I know that at New Braunfels High, as much as a third of the entire marching band is freshman. That is a dramatic difference! Oh well, it will never be entirely equal but as long as everyone gives it their all is what matters.

[trbandchic]

Roosevelt has a good marching band. When they were in 4A they made state marching contest. As a 5A school, they have not made state, but only because the quality of bands in 5A is just so much higher.
I wasnt aware that Reagan marches few freshman; that makes it that much harder for other schools to compete against them. I know that at New Braunfels High, as much as a third of the entire marching band is freshman. That is a dramatic difference! Oh well, it will never be entirely equal but as long as everyone gives it their all is what matters.
my older brother was in the band when they did that and their show was amazing...the level of talent that the band had then was so much greater than the talent in our band now. Our band is really young right now.. so in the next 2 years or so it will be even better.. well the marching part of it.. our concert side has a really good balance right now.

[BandidoNB]

my older brother was in the band when they did that and their show was amazing...the level of talent that the band had then was so much greater than the talent in our band now. Our band is really young right now.. so in the next 2 years or so it will be even better.. well the marching part of it.. our concert side has a really good balance right now.

Ya I actually saw that show, it was AWESOME!! The drill was so fast and I remember some girls from some other band watching them at Area were like "OMG"... it was funny.
If your concert program is more successful than marching then kudos... the concert is the harder to perfect!

[Coug78]

In most of the 90's up until 2000, Abilene Cooper's "Awesome Cooper Band" halftime show was 2nd to none!

Then the band director went to Allen and now they have a mammoth band!

Cooper's "Blood Sweat & Tears" show in 2000 was the best I've ever heard and seen!

http://www.awesomecooperband.com

[AHS Mustangs]

If you liked Madison, you should have seen Willowridge back in the late 80s/early 90s. Seeing 200 band members start dancing on the field is a sight to see. Madison only has like 30 members in their band, so that is nothing compared to 200.

[CyFallsMom]

If you liked Madison, you should have seen Willowridge back in the late 80s/early 90s. Seeing 200 band members start dancing on the field is a sight to see. Madison only has like 30 members in their band, so that is nothing compared to 200.

Now THAT was a fun band!! I was going to Stratford games at that time and they played them in regular season and in playoffs - I went as much for the Willowridge band as for the game - and I wasn't the only one who thought they rocked on the Stratford side:)

[Miss Kitty]

I like most bands. I don't like the new show styles much (all of the orchestraic pits and such) but I know they have to do it to prepare for contest. My favorite is the drill, precision styles like Texas A&M. However it is far more difficult to hide mistakes in that kind of marching. But when it is done right and precisely, it is beautiful. I really miss twirlers, both featured and line.I applaud the effort that all of the kids put in to any of their performances.

What I DO NOT LIKE, are the bands that do inappropriate movements that have no place in a family venue such as a high school football game. I have seen some bands, that go WAY over the line. Sometimes those girls look like they should have a pole on the field with them. I fault the directors and school for this for letting it happen. One year when we played Madison, it got so bad that our band, who always takes a knee to watch the other band, was made to turn around and face the crowd and turn their backs to the Madison Band. Parents were taking younger kids out to the walk way until the show was finished. It had gone beyond entertaining, to nasty. The Katy crowd just sat there stuned when they finished. They have line twirlers and the things they did with those batons were not exactly twirling. I just kept thinking, where are these girls parents? If that were my daughter, I would have literally gone out there and taken her little butt off the field, by her ear if I had to. But then again, my daughter would not have ever done that in the first place.

[G-WHAT06]

Carter's band... now they get it CRUNK! I remember last year when our miserable band went out abd played Star Wars:mad: , I hated half time, until Carter's band started to play. The fans on Garland's side got up and cheered. The drum majors were breakin' it down and getting the crowd pumped, and their band was smaller than ours... but ten times as loud! I don't get it.

[G-WHAT06]

I wish that Garland would get it crunk... But with the director that they have now alll they will focus on is uil.

[Big Daddy Cool]

My favorite half time is the kind they have on games like EA Sports NCAA football games. You know the ones where you hit select and it goes right back to the game. I realize these kids put in a lot of time and effort into what they do but it just insn't my cup of tea.

[CyFallsMom]

I really miss twirlers, both featured and line.I applaud the effort that all of the kids put in to any of their performances.

They have, unfortunately, been replaced by Color Guard. My daughter was in Color Guard for two years and it is a subculture if ever there was one. I miss the twirlers - I took twirling lessons but ended up wanting to be on the kick line instead...couldn't stand those little one piece outfits. The problem with CG as I see it is that (well ours anyway) wears these skin tight outfits that pretty much leave nothing to the imagination. On the heavy girls (and there are quite a few on ours) it just looks horrible - I feel sorry for these girls to have to go out in these things with rolls of fat hanging out. They don't look so bad on the thin girls but they are still too tight. I think a skirt over the outfit wouldn't be too much to ask.

[PACK]

Lufkin is a traditional military band. They march 6 steps to every 5 yards and generally start in block formation. It is much like A&M but about 1/2 the size. Lufkin has a very very good band on the field and now in the stands as well. In the stands they play hip hop along with some catchy popular tunes. On the field it is all about precission marches. It's a syle that has a very rich tradition here.

I enjoy watching the different styles of marching from other bands. Personally though I don't think the melodic selections make for a very entertaining halftime show, but as long as it is done well I have the appreciation for the time spent putting it together.

To me The Fighting Texas Aggie Band is the tops period. Everytime they begin from the North Endzone with the Aggie War Hymn it gives me goose bumps. The standards they march to like "Patton and Men of Kyle" is just something that makes you take notice. On the other side, I love to watch the Gambling Band. They stick it no doubt.

Everyone may or may not appreciate what a band is doing on the field, but at least respect & appreciate the time an effort these kids put in to preparing a performance. They spend just as much or maybe more time practicing as the football team.

I will add one more topic of discussion for thought. In most cases, not all, but most, the coach and the band director probably never say more than 2 words to each other during the entire season. Football players carry this attitude toward the band students which makes for a terrible relationship amoung students. At Lufkin, Coach Outlaw and the Band Director are like best friends. They talk everyday and the players respect the bands efforts as much as the band students respect the players efforts. It makes for a super atmosphere on Friday nights and especially in the halls during schooltime. On Friday nights the band's job is to play music and keep the football team pumped. The band is not in the stands to impress everyone with their musical ability which it's obvious they have. Others schools that have this situation know what I'm talking about. Those that don't are missing out on a great opportunity to have an electrified atmosphere at the games. I think it is one of the major reasons the Lufkin Panthers have the success they have. It is a total team effort and the team is the entire school as well as the huge fan base. We here in Lufkin call it "The Panther Nation." If we win then everybody wins and know they had a part in it. When we lost that one game last year we all took it on the chin. It's more about the kids than it is the school colors. That is the secret to having a successful team win or lose.

[Miss Kitty]

They have, unfortunately, been replaced by Color Guard. My daughter was in Color Guard for two years and it is a subculture if ever there was one. I miss the twirlers - I took twirling lessons but ended up wanting to be on the kick line instead...couldn't stand those little one piece outfits. The problem with CG as I see it is that (well ours anyway) wears these skin tight outfits that pretty much leave nothing to the imagination. On the heavy girls (and there are quite a few on ours) it just looks horrible - I feel sorry for these girls to have to go out in these things with rolls of fat hanging out. They don't look so bad on the thin girls but they are still too tight. I think a skirt over the outfit wouldn't be too much to ask.

The one from CyFalls that cracked me up was the white one that is clearly see through. I think she is one of the captians. Those are some wild outfits.

[Miss Kitty]

Lufkin is a traditional military band. They march 6 steps to every 5 yards and generally start in block formation. It is much like A&M but about 1/2 the size. Lufkin has a very very good band on the field and now in the stands as well. In the stands they play hip hop along with some catchy popular tunes. On the field it is all about precission marches. It's a syle that has a very rich tradition here.

I enjoy watching the different styles of marching from other bands. Personally though I don't think the melodic selections make for a very entertaining halftime show, but as long as it is done well I have the appreciation for the time spent putting it together.

To me The Fighting Texas Aggie Band is the tops period. Everytime they begin from the North Endzone with the Aggie War Hymn it gives me goose bumps. The standards they march to like "Patton and Men of Kyle" is just something that makes you take notice. On the other side, I love to watch the Gambling Band. They stick it no doubt.

Everyone may or may not appreciate what a band is doing on the field, but at least respect & appreciate the time an effort these kids put in to preparing a performance. They spend just as much or maybe more time practicing as the football team.

I will add one more topic of discussion for thought. In most cases, not all, but most, the coach and the band director probably never say more than 2 words to each other during the entire season. Football players carry this attitude toward the band students which makes for a terrible relationship amoung students. At Lufkin, Coach Outlaw and the Band Director are like best friends. They talk everyday and the players respect the bands efforts as much as the band students respect the players efforts. It makes for a super atmosphere on Friday nights and especially in the halls during schooltime. On Friday nights the band's job is to play music and keep the football team pumped. The band is not in the stands to impress everyone with their musical ability which it's obvious they have. Others schools that have this situation know what I'm talking about. Those that don't are missing out on a great opportunity to have an electrified atmosphere at the games. I think it is one of the major reasons the Lufkin Panthers have the success they have. It is a total team effort and the team is the entire school as well as the huge fan base. We here in Lufkin call it "The Panther Nation." If we win then everybody wins and know they had a part in it. When we lost that one game last year we all took it on the chin. It's more about the kids than it is the school colors. That is the secret to having a successful team win or lose.


I love Lufkin's band. Humble marches like that too.

I also understand what you mean about the bands part of a game. We do that in Katy very well.

[bubbacoach]

I just saw this and thought it was like the Royal Rumble Seguin suggested in off topic.

[CyFallsMom]

After one of our very big wins the year before last, Coach Raffield jumped up on the Directors platform and thanked the band for helping them out. The band, in which my son and daughter were members at the time, had made all kinds of noise and became, in effect, the 12th man. The other team couldn't hear anything they were calling and it was pretty apparent from the confused looks on their faces and other blunders they were making. At any rate, he acknowledged those kids. I have never seen much animosity between the football team and band - they actually talk to each other sometimes!! One of our symphonic kids was on Varsity one year - that was unusual because they were most often told to choose by the director. The football team always stays behind after the Homecoming game and watches the contest show. Now, that's not saying they are having a great time doing it - I'm sure they would rather be showering - but it's what they do.

In my high school, there was no communication between the coach and the band - the football team could have cared less. And the drill team instructor and the band director couldn't stand each other so the band director would speed the music up on us a lot during the show:eek: Fun Times!